Volleyball Hits the Road to Wrap Up 2013 Regular Season at Providence and Hartford

BALTIMORE – After falling to New Hampshire in three sets last Friday night, the UMBC volleyball team earned a three-set sweep over UMass Lowell Sunday afternoon to mathematically clinch a spot in their sixth-straight America East Tournament. UMBC now closes out its 2013 regular season schedule by taking on Providence on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m. and then heading to Connecticut to face Hartford at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17.

Scouting the Retrievers

Heading into the final weekend, UMBC (17-10, 8-4 AE) sits in a tie for second-place with Stony Brook and Binghamton behind New Hampshire (10-2 AE). The Retrievers own the tie-breakers over both the Seawolves and Great Danes, in addition to fifth-place Binghamton (6-6 AE).

Senior setter Mallory McIntyre (Winnipeg, Manitoba/St. Mary's Academy) registered her ninth double-double of the 2013 season by dishing out 27 assists and scooping up a match-high 14 digs as UMBC swept UMass Lowell for the second time this season. As was the case in the Retrievers' sweep in Baltimore, the UMBC defense was stellar in holding the River Hawks to .088 hitting and picking up nine more digs (48-39). Senior Ali Goc (Oshawa, Ontario/R.S. McLaughlin) was also in double figures for the Black and Gold defense, picking up 12 digs.

The UMBC offense was paced by junior Hannah Schmidt (Catonsville, Md./Mount de Sales) and senior Emily Witsaman (Medina, Ohio/Medina) who sent down 11 and ten kills, respectively. Witsaman hit .500 for the match while sophomore Krystal Mlemchukwu (Baltimore, Md. /Western Tech) put down nine kills on 16 swings to help the Retrievers defeat the River Hawks in three sets.

McIntyre has led the Retrievers to a 12.50 kills per set average, top in the conference, while pacing the league with a 10.13 assists per set mark. In addition, UMBC leads the America East in blocking, averaging 2.01 blocks per set.

Scouting the Friars

Providence (12-18, 4-8 AE) lost both of its matches last weekend in straight sets, falling to Albany on Friday night before dropping a three-set contest at Binghamton on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore Lindsay Witt hit .615 against the Bearcats with eight kills, while freshman Kayla Fitzgerald recorded a double-double with ten kills and 11 digs.

Junior Mackenzie Ziegler (.280 per set) and Fitzgerald (2.69 per set) have paced the Friar offense this season and rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in the America East in kills. Witt, meanwhile, sits third in the conference standings with her .288 hitting efficiency rate.

Sophomore setter Jordan Wiesler has guided Providence to a .170 hitting clip this season and ranks third in the league in assists, handing out 9.65 helpers per set.

On the back row, libero Michelle Cruz has impressed during her first season and sits second in the America East, averaging 4.69 digs per set as a freshman.

All-Time Series

The Retrievers defeated the Friars in the first regular season match in a four sets back on October 20 behind double-doubles from Ali Goc, Mallory McIntyre, and Hannah Schmidt. With the win, UMBC improved to 10-2 all-time against Providence and 7-0 in America East contests. The Friars' only wins in the all-time series came in the first two matchups when they defeated the Retrievers on back-to-back days at the Delaware Tournament in 1989.

Schmidt led the Retriever attack with 17 kills in the four-set victory earlier this season with Krystal Mlemchukwu joining Goc and Witsaman with 12 winners, while sophomore Sherelle Walker (New Freedom, Pa./ Susquehannock) put down ten.

For Providence, Kayla Fitzgerald led all hitters with 15 put-away while Wiesler dished out 46 assists.

Scouting the Hawks

Hartford (10-18, 4-8 AE) traveled to take on Binghamton last Friday but lost in three sets, and then fell at Albany on Sunday in four.

Junior hitter Sareeta Nethersole recorded her tenth double-double of the season by slamming a match-high 14 winners and scooping up 15 digs against the Great Danes. Classmate Jackie Tamburri notched a double-double, handing out 36 assists and picking up a team-best24 digs.

All-Time Series

UMBC extended its current winning streak over Hartford to four with a four-set victory at the RAC Arena on Oct. 18. Schmidt sent down 15 winners and picked up 11 digs for the Retrievers who pushed their lead in the all-time series to 21-2.

The Retrievers earned a three-set victory at Hartford in 2012 after Hartford snapped a 14-match losing streak to its conference rival with a five-set win at home in 2011.